Hi folks,
If you can bear to hear a little family history, read on.
My Father was involved with Aeroplanes all his life, from joining the RFC when he was 16 until he retired. He was a pilot but after he left what was by then the RAF he specialised as a Ground Engineer and by the end of the 1920s he was approved to carry out full C of As on light aircraft all on his own, one of only 5 such I was told. Then in the early 30's he joined Imperial Airways (the then 'National' Airline and the forerunner of British Airways) and, as they opened up the air routes to the Empire he went and helped to set up the servicing facilities, winding up as Chief Ground Engineer at Karachi, the main servicing base for the London (Croydon)-Singapore-London route (the so-called 'Far Eastern Route').
What has this to do with birds, I hear you ask. Well, not much, he wasn't interested in them, but in looking through his old photo album I came across this photo, which is captioned 'The Sheik of Sharjah' who had apparently come to the new airport to take a look around. The interesting thing to me is the birds. The two gentlemen with the pole perches are obviously the 'royal' bit, the one at the back I don't know, probably not. What's interesting is that there seem to be 3 different Species of bird; I know what I think they are, any suggestions?
Oh, and I DO know what the Aeroplane is (big 'ead), does anybody else?
Bill
If you can bear to hear a little family history, read on.
My Father was involved with Aeroplanes all his life, from joining the RFC when he was 16 until he retired. He was a pilot but after he left what was by then the RAF he specialised as a Ground Engineer and by the end of the 1920s he was approved to carry out full C of As on light aircraft all on his own, one of only 5 such I was told. Then in the early 30's he joined Imperial Airways (the then 'National' Airline and the forerunner of British Airways) and, as they opened up the air routes to the Empire he went and helped to set up the servicing facilities, winding up as Chief Ground Engineer at Karachi, the main servicing base for the London (Croydon)-Singapore-London route (the so-called 'Far Eastern Route').
What has this to do with birds, I hear you ask. Well, not much, he wasn't interested in them, but in looking through his old photo album I came across this photo, which is captioned 'The Sheik of Sharjah' who had apparently come to the new airport to take a look around. The interesting thing to me is the birds. The two gentlemen with the pole perches are obviously the 'royal' bit, the one at the back I don't know, probably not. What's interesting is that there seem to be 3 different Species of bird; I know what I think they are, any suggestions?
Oh, and I DO know what the Aeroplane is (big 'ead), does anybody else?
Bill